(Philippine Daily Inquirer file photo/ Richard A. Reyes)
MANILA, Philippines — Face-to-face classes will be suspended and free rides form commuters will be made available in the City of Manila, Muntinlupa, Caloocan and Cainta in Rizal during the week-long transportation strike starting Monday, March 6.
Around 40,000 public utility vehicles (PUVs) are expected to join the transport strike in protest of the planned traditional jeepney phaseout under the government’s implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization plan.
City of Manila
In a recent Facebook post, the city government of Manila on Saturday asked public schools to conduct asynchronous classes for students at all levels due to the upcoming transport strike.
It also encouraged private schools within the city to do the same.
Moreover, the local government will also implement “Libreng Sakay” services to aid commuters affected by the transportation strike.
The city government said that aside from free e-trike rides, it will deploy 10 buses, 17 pick-up trucks, three trucks, two transporters, and one command unit along the following routes:
- Vito Cruz – Taft Avenue to Quezon Blvd
- Espana Blvd to Mabuhay Rotonda
- Abad Santos Avenue to R. Papa – Rizal Avenue
- UN -Taft Ave to R. Papa Rizal Avenue
- C.M. Recto Ave. to SM Sta Mesa
- UN- Taft Ave to P. Ocampo St
- Monumento Rizal Ave to Divisoria
- Buendia – Taft Ave to Divisoria
- Buendia -Taft Ave to Monumento Rizal Ave
- Buendia -Taft Ave to Welcome Rotonda
Muntinlupa City
Likewise, Muntinlupa will implement asynchronous or synchronous classes on transport strike week in public elementary and high school classes, and encouraged private schools to likewise switch to online classes.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Mayor Ruffy Biazon also announced that Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa would conduct asynchronous or synchronous classes for the whole week.
Colegio de Muntinlupa suspended its classes from March 6 to 7.
Community-based Early Childhood Education (ECED Muntinlupa) centers, however, will still hold classes.
To assist commuters during the transport strike week, Biazon has ordered the deployment of Flexi-trucks, city buses, e-jeeps, and service vehicles of the city’s police force for free ride services, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Below is the city’s list of routes with “Libreng Sakay” services:
- RMT to Alabang Viaduct and vice versa (National Road)
- Alabang Viaduct to Sucat and vice versa (East Service Road)
- South Station to Sucat and vice versa (West Service Road)
- South Station to Buencamino and vice versa (Alabang-Zapote Road)
- Biazon Road (Southville III)
- Sucat to Poblacion and vice versa (Baybayin)
Caloocan City
Caloocan City announced on Friday that it ordered public and private schools to switch from face-to-face classes to online learning to ensure the safety of students in response to the transport strike next week.
It will also offer free ride services to its locals in the following routes in the city’s north and south areas:
North Caloocan
- Phase 10 Bagong Silang to SM Fairview via Zapote Maligaya (and vice versa)
- Phase 10 Bagong Silang to Almar to Novaliches Bayan (and vice versa)
- Phase 1 Bagong Silang to SM Fairview via Zapote Maligaya
- Phase 1 Bagong Silang to Almar to Novaliches Bayan
- Phase 5 Bagong Silang to SM Fairview
- Phase 5 Bagong Silang to Almar to Novaliches Bayan
- Almar to Novaliches Bayan
- Almar to SM Fairview
- Malaria to SM Fairview
- Vicas to Novaliches Bayan
South Caloocan
- MCU to Letre
- MCU to Valenzuela
- Monumento to SM North Edsa
- Monumento to Novaliches
- Old City Hall to A. Bonifacio via 10th Ave
- Monumento to City Hall
Moreover, Mayor Along Malapitan ordered the Caloocan City Police “to increase their visibility in major thoroughfares and to implement maximum tolerance.”
“Priority natin lagi ang kaligtasan ng ating mga commuter at motorista lalo na ang mga hindi sasali sa tigil pasada, kaya maliban sa Caloocan City Police, inatasan din natin ang ating Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office na magkaroon ng paghahanda para dito sa transport strike,” he said.
(Our priority is the safety of our commuters and motorists, especially those who will not join the transport strike. That’s why aside from the Caloocan City Police, we also asked Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to be prepared.)
Cainta, Rizal
Cainta, Rizal advised all schools to switch to online classes during the transport strike week.
“Schools can adopt such other measures so as not to disrupt classes and to assist students to continue learning in other ways,” the local government unit said in a statement.
The local government will also deploy vehicles to assists and ferry affected commuters.